Mattymatt

On 11/8/2017 at 3:58 PM, Geri Marie said:

I just started day one of the liquid diet. Ugh I didn't think I would have an issue, but darn...the struggle is real!! So hungry, but a Protein Shake is just filling me up, its not satisfying me. Oh well. I can do it!

This is not easy but you've the right attitude: you can do it! Sometimes something as challenging as this is made all the easier when you know it's a hard requirement. This is something you must do.

It is amazing how skinny people see heavy people with such disdain. People look at me with disdain, like there is some sort of character flaw in me. It makes me uneasy around the opposite sex. I could get upset about it, but I won't be able to change their perception. Instead I can change myself and that I sure will do.

I cannot wait for people I know to pass me by because they do not recognize me. Then I will know that I have achieved something!

3 minutes ago, Geri Marie said:

Hi all!! I got my band removed in August of this year. I too failed my band. I could never get that "full" feeling. And drinking while I eat....smh I just could master the band. I didn't really have any issues with the band UNTIL I was admitted into the hospital with chest pains and yes anxiety. After a two day stay in the hospital and no issues detected, the doctor releasing me said it could be digestive related. I was like....as in my band? He said oh...do you have the lap band...yes that could be it. Sure enough. My Bariatric surgeon said yes, if you would have called me I would have told you it was all band related. So here I am one week away from getting the Gastric sleeve. I am so excited!! I couldn't commit to the RNY, however the sleeve is step one of the RNY so if this has issues he can do the RNY with no problems. Maybe you want to start off with that? My concern with the RNY is not the dumping, its the malnutrition. But thats just me.....thought Id throw my two cents in to the ring.....good luck

I am going the RNY route because of the lap band horrors (I knew someone that became seriously ill as a result of it slipping) and that the average amount of weight loss is lower on the sleeve. My surgeon says that if I take the Vitamins and follow the recommended diet, I should not have a problem with malnutrition. Perhaps you would seriously consider going the RNY route. You don't want to have to go through three surgeries because you discover that the sleeve is not working as well as possible. I certainly don't want to put myself through that so RNY here we come!

These are all such good goals. May everyone achieve then and more.

25 minutes ago, Aliya78 said:

I live in New Zealand and will be canoeing the the Whanganui River.

That should be loads of fun! Multi-day trip?

9 minutes ago, Aliya78 said:

My goals were to be able to go canoeing comfortably, to be able to ride a horse, and to travel without worry about seating and weight limits. Am excited as have canoe trip planned in 2 months.

Where will you be going?

I will NEVER like the middle seat.

Loose skin is the least of my problems. If I have some once I get to post surgery, so be it. I'm not doing this to look like I should be on the cover of people magazine. I just don't want to be a walking profit model for Big Pharma!

On 10/28/2017 at 8:21 PM, Kat410 said:

Is it just me - or does anyone get annoyed by the NEVER ENDING STREAM OF COMMENTS about your body???

I work in an environment where I interact with hundreds of people every day, and while the comments are "nice", I am unbelievably sick of people thinking they have the right to comment on my body, how I look, their assumptions about how hard it's been, what this means, how they think I feel, what they think this means to me, what they think I have had to deal with, their opinions about it, etc.

I mean.... it is NON STOP. People literally say things like "You must feel so much better!" (I didn't feel bad before). "This must have been so difficult!" (no, it really wasn't because I was mentally read). "You look so much younger!" (I didn't realize I looked old before). "How much weight have you lost?" (I have lost none of your business pounds).

Am I nuts to get so annoyed about this?

I just use those stupid remarks and questions to brag on myself a bit :-P

5 hours ago, 1badassbiggurl said:

I️ want to wish everyone well that is having surgery today; you will all be in my thoughts and prayers not only for a successful surgery but a speedy recovery as well. Of course I️ will do my best to keep you all updated as to how my surgery goes today. My nerves are starting to rattle a bit but I’m okay! I️ just wanted you guys to know it has truly been great finding this forum. You guys have been so supportive and inspiring...THANK YOU!

You got this!!

4 hours ago, CyclicalLoser said:

Hello everyone, first post here. I tend to type a lot, so I will try to be short. I'm 41 and I have had the band for almost 8 years. 293 surgery weight, got down to 220, back up to 290. I have had it unfilled for a long time. I am tired of the restriction (even unfilled) and it's not working with me so I want to get it out. I am thinking about the RNY but I have a lot of questions. I won't ask all of them now, but if there is a good FAQ or resource of common revision questions, I would be grateful for the link.

My lap band failed me because I failed it. That's the honest truth. I don't like timing when I drink, and I eat a lot of Pasta, so I drink as I eat. I'm positive I have a huge slip. I eat very little in the morning and lunch, and then eat a lot in the evening. I mean a lot, like as much as I did before the band. I'm willing to do the work - I know I need to change if I go with the RNY. I just need to know what to expect. I've been up and down a lot with weight since the 4th grade. 220 > 180 > 263 (Extreme exercising and dieting) > 163 > 293 (Lap band operation) > 220 > 290 (Now)

I have anxiety quite bad. I have panic attacks every once and a while, and I take Luvox and Lamictal to help me through it. I have been rushed to the ER because I thought I was having a heart attack (That's the kind of panic attacks I have). I travel a lot for work, and I am involved in somewhat stressful situations while I work. When I'm working, I have to be "on it" and can't be sick (e.g. dumping syndrome) and sometimes I don't get enough time to eat a quality meal. Also, sometimes I work very long days...12-16 hours, once 30 hours. It isn't this way all the time, maybe twice per month, but I never know what kind of a cluster I'm walking into (I'm a IT consultant). I have to fly to these gigs, and even though I don't have a fear of flying, I have had a panic attack or two on the plane. I'm specifically worried about dumping syndrome while flying + panic attacks.

I'm curious if anyone out there has the same situation as far as anxiety and travel, and so on. If you do, how has the band > RNY worked out for you? I think this is the most important thing for me.

In regards to my many other questions, I'm going to do some searching on here to try and get a feeler for the answers. I meet with the Surgeon after Thanksgiving. I want to be better prepared than I am now.

Thanks for taking the time to read or comment on this.

Good god! I remember those days in Information Technology. I worked for an airline, traveled constantly, and never knew what kind of cluster fsck I would run into. I do not miss those days. I burnt out on it! Information Technology is really stressful because you're only noticed when things go bad or you cannot fix a problem right away. The constant stress will definitely cause panic attacks and anxiety. I never had any aircraft delay that fell on my shoulders but I constantly worried because I could cause a delay that might mean someone dies because they don't get their organ transplant on time or some other critical matter. Best thing I ever did was completely walk away from it. Of course, all that stress took its toll on my body. I've got a lot of weight to lose.

So now, I am in training to work as an Armed Security Officer because my undergrad is in Criminal Justice and the unemployment office is paying for the certification. There is a shortage of people willing to work security so it's easy to find jobs and I will do a lot of walking .... a lot of walking! I will miss the bigger paychecks but I will not miss the stress that reaches mortal levels. Is there any way you can change careers? Believe me, your body will thank you. I am now just a Type 2 Diabetic with sleep Apnea and Morbid Obesity instead of being stressed out beyond reason. I would advise you to take a deep look at yourself and ask if sacrificing your health for your career is worth it. It certainly is not for me!

34 minutes ago, JeffN said:

When you are ready, I am sure you will do fine. Complications from surgery are infrequent if you follow your DR's advice.

I can only speak for me; I am kicking myself for not doing the surgery sooner. I think of all the activities I have missed out on with my daughters because I was too fat. I also think of all the embarrassment they had because their father was the most overweight guy in the stadium. I am sure I hurt them as much as I was hurting myself. People say they don't notice but wait until you have the surgery and start to live a healthy life. You will have people that you never thought cared come up to you and tell you how great you look. That should go to show you that people do take notice they just don't say anything.

I allowed my weight to rob me of so much, you are still very young don't let it take any more from you.

Diabetes is no joke; it is a horrible way to go. My Dr told me they were going to start at my toes and start cutting but the good news is by the time they got to my knees I should be blind so I will not see the effects.

All my girls are away at school and are coming home for the Holidays; they have no idea that I had the surgery, I did it for myself first but also for them.

Good Luck, hope you change your mind.

FYI my blood sugar never gets above 140 after eating and stays around 85.

You're absolutely right! Diabetes is no joke at all. Your blood sugar is very well controlled and after a very short period of time. Mine is starting to come down now that I am, at least, eating much better and less. It's still higher than I want. I have neuropathy in my feet but since I am a newer diabetic, the doctors seem to think all of this will reverse as I lose weight. I don't want to die. I wish I had started this process earlier in my life too. :-(

9 minutes ago, FluffyChix said:

bahahahaaha! See? THIS is why I need reading comprehension tutors!!! You're still gonna be there before you know it, dude!!!

LOL! You're all good. One of the nice things about bariatric surgery is the instant gratification (or almost anyway.) When I hear of people losing like 100 pounds in 3 months and even getting to goal weight in 6-8, I am getting eager to get going.

21 minutes ago, FluffyChix said:

Camping, hiking, tubing on the Frio, Comal, and Guadalupe rivers, hunting, fishing, crabbing. Also, I want to do restorative yoga and it would be lovely to have the choice of horseback riding again if my back can take it!

You'll be biking and hiking in no time! Only 60 or so pounds to go for you!

I've got 176 to lose

Being as heavy as I am, I miss my two loves: backpacking and cycling. I've been heavy all of my life, but at the times that I've been less heavy, I was able to ride 100 miles and backpack about that same distance. So, I'd really like to be able to shake the dust off of these hobbies. What do you miss doing that you would like to be able to do?

9 hours ago, dreamingsmall said:

The band is very high risk for complications. I'd never consider the band. My surgeon doesn't barely do them now due to the poor success rate.

The lap band can slip causing damage to the stomach and even bleeding. There is a markedly higher complication rate and it is not nearly effective as getting gastric bypass out sleeve.

I am hoping that by telling myself sweets will make me sick, it will become the self-fulfilling prophecy.

5 minutes ago, shedo82773 said:

I can speak from the other end. I married my husband on Aug 27, 1973. He weighed 350#'s. I weighed 135#'s. I have always gone for BIG GUYS but their personality has some pull too and always older than my age. My husband was in the Navy and I was just a little bit in AWE, he had been around the world and here I was a 17YO country girl. I feel head over heels in LOVE with him. Do you know what we had in common? That's right food!!! It was our thing. Over the years I dieted and he did go on a few but never took it seriously. I weighed 285#'s not long before I had my RNY. But do you know what he said to me, I have never seen your weight I still see the woman I married 44Years ago!!! I told you he was a gem!! Fast forward a few years. On July 2, 2013, I had WLS, Sept 2013 he had a failed RNY surgery (due to his Band that he had for 13Years) So I lost all of my weight in 6 months and he later after much illness had his Sleeve in June of 2016. To this day there is NOT a mean bone in either one of us!! I would never hurt anyone that is heavy NEVER!!! I feel compassion for them. I would'nt have it in me to shame anyone as I have been shamed!! As for getting with someone that has a weight problem, if I was attracted to him YES I could and would date some guy that was 6.4 and a little on the heavy side. I have never had a problem with my hubby even when his weight got up to 520#'s. I can tell you this much this man was so strong!!!! It is so sad that now his body is feeling all of those years of his abuse!! He has lost over 250#'s. Now we don't have the food FOCUS that plagued us for 40 years. food isn't our thing now!!! Each other is our focus now.

That's awesome! I wish the two of you continued success.

1 minute ago, rubia72 said:

They asked her to stop smoking a couple of weeks before surgery but she never did her husband told me she told the doctor that she did but she really didn’t. He led me to believe that her complications were caused by her own fault not the surgery.

The doctors are very serious and sober about the diet and lifestyle rules that you must abide by in order to avoid or lessen the complications. This procedure is not for the faint of heart. I believe you need to be 100% committed to it. I am struggling badly right now so I have great hope that when it becomes my turn on the surgeon's table, the journey to life long health will begin.

8 minutes ago, JeezLouise91 said:

Thank you for the advice. It's crazy that I'd rather get it done when and if I get in that position rather than nipping it in the bud now. I shouldn't wait until things get out of control I know. It's such a life changing decision though, and I haven't had the best of support from anyone. Decisions decisions...

Your chances of a speed and easy recovery when you reach the phase that I am in are far less. Just keep that in mind.

Interesting .... no answer from the OP. I took the time to write a really supportive piece too. I sure wish I had it done earlier too.

5 minutes ago, GlowingGal said:

My team said RNY is considered the "top of the line" of WLS with the best long-term weight loss results. I've read many success stories of those who've had the sleeve, so I would bet it's more of a personal decision. I went to my consultation appointment thinking of the sleeve, but due to my chronic GERD, my surgeon recommended RNY. My surgery went well. Right now, I just want to eat regular food. No. More. Liquids. LOL

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using BariatricPal mobile app

Not even a full month has gone by and you're almost 40 pounds lighter! That's just incredible! Keep up the great work. You had your surgery when I had my first appointment with the surgeon.

Initially things started out looking like I would go the sleeve route but I want to go the traditional Roux-en-Y simply because I believe that I might have a bit of a sweet tooth and it would be better if sweets just were not an option. Plus, my Primary Care Physician is recommending the Roux-en-Y because she said that patients lose more weight and keep more of it off when compared to the sleeve. So, I am sold.

Human beings tend to be incredibly judgmental and the worse we feel about ourselves, the more we tend to pass harsher judgement on others. I thought about re-joining MyFitnessPal to track my food intake and for the supporting forums but they're all anti-Weight Loss Surgery and almost religiously so. How many of the MyFitnessPal members have managed to lose and keep the weight off? My guess is only about the national average of 10-15%. We are all here because yo-yo and fad dieting has not worked. The definition of madness is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.

I feel very empathetic for people in my shoes. I am even more empathetic towards the people with curmudgeon insurance companies that want to find every way to deny a patient access to weight loss surgery yet brag that they offer such coverage. My only regret is that I did not consider this earlier in my life. I feel sad that I did not pursue this option five or so years ago.